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Spicy Basil Fried Rice with Chicken
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This spicy basil fried rice with chicken recipe turns the popular Thai dish of grapow gai (also known as pad kra gao), spicy basil chicken into fried rice with a sweet and spicy easy sauce made from just 3 ingredients. Oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce are blended together and paired with basil leaves both in the rice and crispy leaves garnished on top. The chicken in this recipe can easily be swapped out for meat like thinly sliced beef or shrimp instead. This take on Thai fried rice with chicken and basil comes together quickly and easily for a weeknight dinner using simple ingredients. If you prefer a seafood version give crab fried rice a try or double garlic fried rice for a vegetarian version.
Key Ingredients in basil fried rice
- Shallots – Shallots have a mild, slightly sweet flavor. If needed yellow or red onion can be swapped in. The general rule of thumb is 3 medium shallots equal 1 medium onion.
- Bell pepper – Bell peppers are sweet with mild flavor. They don’t have any heat but add a sweet flavor, especially when sautéed.
- Garlic – As the garlic is sautéed the flavor mellows so it’s not very pungent but adds a base flavor that complements the sautéed shallot and sweet sauce.
- Thai Birdseye chili – Bird’s eye chilies or Thai chilies are small, pointy chili peppers that pack a punch. They add an intense heat with fruity flavor to dishes rating between 50,000 and 100,000 Scoville units. They can sometimes be difficult to find so I usually buy a large bag of them at them at my local Asian market. I store the chilies in the freezer in a resealable plastic bag. It’s actually even easier to cut them when they are frozen.
- Chicken – I use chicken thighs in this recipe because they are both a cheaper cut as well as an extremely flavorful. If swapping in chicken breasts I would recommend slicing them thinner so they cook more quickly and don’t dry out.
- Rice – Most Thai recipes use jasmine rice but this recipe calls for basic long-grain white rice (probably the most common variety of rice). Any medium to long grain rice variety can easily be substituted. I generally use whatever type of rice I happen to have leftover.
- Oyster sauce – Oyster sauce is made from a combination of caramelized oyster juices, salt and sugar, sometimes soy sauce and often a thickening agent like cornstarch. It’s a dark, syrupy sauce with a salty and sweet flavor less pungent and fishy than fish sauce.
- Soy sauce – I use reduced sodium soy sauce so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe, adding more if needed.
- Fish sauce – I love the funky umami flavor fish sauce adds to any dish, it’s a great way to enhance the flavor. It’s an crucial ingredient in my beef panang curry and sweet chili chicken wings. The flavor comes from a process of fermenting fish over a long period of time.
- Brown sugar – Both light or dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe. The sugar is added to balance the flavors or the soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce.
- Basil – Gra pao gai is traditionally made with Thai holy basil. I can sometimes find in Asian markets, but I use sweet basil (the bright-green type with cup-shaped leaves you usually find in grocery stores) in this recipe since it’s much more easily accessible.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Why use day-old rice?
Day old rice is optimal for cooking fried rice since it has dried out a bit. When making fried rice the goal is to fry it so it’s a bit crispy and absorbs the rice rather than steaming it to the point that it is mushy. While day-old rice isn’t required it definitely makes for the best texture.
If you don’t have leftover rice you can mimic the dried rice by spreading the cooked rice in an even layer on a baking sheet and refrigerating it for an hour or freezing it for about 15 minutes.
How to make this recipe
- Get your ingredients ready. Fried rice moves fast once you get going so it’s important to get your ingredients prepped ahead of time (a mise en place).
- Heat your wok or large pan. Heat a wok over medium high heat then add the oil.
- Cook your aromatics. Add the shallots and bell pepper, stirring constantly until the onion is tender and opaque.
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken to the wok and cook, stirring constantly until just about cooked through.
- Fry the rice. Add the garlic and chilies, stirring until just fragrant, a few seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is dried out a bit.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar.
- Add to rice. Pour over the fried rice mixture stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
Tips for the Best Fried Rice
- Prep your ingredients ahead of time. The dish comes together quickly so have your ingredients prepared in a mise en place.
- Use day old rice! This allows the rice to crisp up more and fry rather than steam when it cooks in the pan since it will a little drier.
- Use a wok! Use a wok if you have one! It has more surface area so everything heats quickly and evenly. The sloped sides also contain most of the splatter that can occur when cooking at a high heat.
- Don’t skimp on the oil. This keeps rice from sticking and coats each grain.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan. Work in batches if needed. Too much rice in the pan traps steam and turns it mushy.
- Finish with a fresh element. Finishing with fresh herbs (in this case basil leaves) adds an element of freshness to the rice.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Use a wok if you have one! It has more surface area so everything heats quickly and evenly. The sloped sides also contain most of the splatter that can occur when cooking at a high heat. If you don’t have a wok I recommend a large cast iron skillet for the best fried rice.
Yes! While a wok heats quickly and contains splatter, a large cast iron skillet or regular pan works just fine for many kitchens
Yes! Any medium to long grain rice will do! I generally use whatever rice I have leftover to make fried rice.
Use cold, dried day-old rice, avoid overcrowding the pan, cook in batches, and let the grains toast undisturbed to develop those flavorful crispy bits!
Chicken is classic, but feel free to swap in shrimp, tofu or pork – most proteins work great with this flavor profile
Other fried rice recipes to try
If you enjoy this fried rice, I would recommend giving these recipes a try:
- Double garlic fried rice
- Garlic crab fried rice
- 15-minute cauliflower and kimchi fried rice
- Pepperoni fried rice with scallops and garlic aioli
Spicy Basil Fried Rice with Chicken
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Ingredients:
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped into ½” pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 Thai Birdseye chilies, finely diced
- 1 pound chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 cups cooked, day-old long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon (packed) brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
- Heat a wok over medium high heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the shallots and bell pepper, stirring constantly until the onion is tender and opaque, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the wok and cook, stirring constantly until just about cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and chilies, stirring until just fragrant, a few seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is dried out a bit, about 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar. Pour over the fried rice mixture stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
Nutrition:
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This was so easy to make & flavourful. Best fried rice I’ve ever made.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Kylie, going to try your delicious looking dish tonight. One question, the other 1/4 of canola oil, what is it for? Not sure if I missed something. Thanks so much and let you know how it comes out. Cheers! David A.
David, good catch – that was an oversight on my part! Adjusted the recipe accordingly. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kylie, thank you for the clarification on the canola. It came out fantastic and a big hit. I made way too much day old rice so I will just have to whip up another batch of the dish today to use it up. Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
All the best, David A.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed! If you still have plenty of day old rice left I’d recommend my kimchi fried rice here: https://cookingwithcocktailrings.com/2016-15-minute-cauliflower-and-kimchi-fried-rice/ or my pepperoni fried rice recipe here: https://cookingwithcocktailrings.com/pepperoni-fried-rice/
I have used your recipe twice now and love it! The second time I doubled the sauce however and it worked out great! Thanks so much!
Whoa. This is seriously good! I didn’t have day-old rice and it was still SO good with freshly made. I’m also not a 3-Serrano girl and it was still fantastic with just 1/2 a diced jalapeño. There’s a Thai place near us that makes a similar dish and my husband said this one was better. Woot! Thanks so much!!! Will be making on repeat!
So happy you enjoyed and found a new recipe to add to your repertoire Tamara!! Thank you for sharing!
This has become my favorite go-to recipe. I’ve used shrimp, tofu, added tons of other veggies. It’s fantastic. I usually use a medium grain brown rice since I love the texture. Oh, and I usually double the sauce. It’s great with wheat free, low sodium tamari. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy this recipe!! Thanks for sharing Michael!
I loved this recipe. I always enjoy a low effort, high reward meal and this was one of them! Simple recipe with elevated flavors.